This invention relates generally to the field of messaging and more particularly to a process and method for central specification and management of how messages are distributed to recipients. The need for receiving messages in different media and through different devices is exploding. Physical (hardcopy) letters and faxes, and phone message means have been supplemented with e-email, SMS messages, WAP, voice messages, Extranet updates and more means to come.
Presently for organizations to keep customers and clients updated with the kind of information and messages that will assure goodwill and loyal behavior is a complex task requiring resources, focus and complex information technology (IT) solutions. Many organizations already have rule based Customer Relation Management IT systems. These systems are designed to handle message profiles based on rules for how each individual customer/client will receive information and messages.
Since customer information can be mission critical, Customer Relation Management (CRM) systems are most often for security reasons maintained by the customer service department inside the organization. Defining and changing message profile requires an interaction between each individual customer and the customer service department, to prevent unauthorized access to the CRM system by individuals. These message profiles must be entered and maintained in every single CRM system—in every single organization—for every single customer/client. The customers/clients will find it both time consuming and difficult to contact all his information suppliers to make them update his profile with e.g. a new e-mail address or phone number.
Due to the complexity, time consuming and resource demanding task in defining, operating and maintaining messages profiles on a one-to-one basis, only a few organizations today are able to keep customers/clients informed with respect to how, when and where the individual customer prefer to receive his message information. The inaccessibility of efficient message management means results in widespread use of inefficient mass communication means, such as spam e-mail, and household delivered promotion materials (“junk mail”). The massive use of Direct Mailings without relevance annoys the receiver by filling up his mailbox and ignoring his/her real interests. Additionally, the distribution to a potential customer of relevant information—but at the wrong time or in the wrong place may disappoint or frustrate a receiver who missed or was not able to use the information. These considerations may even dissuade companies from distributing any information at all, because it is too complex, costly and time consuming. This can leave customers motivated to exploit alternative companies, lowering customer loyalty, and lowering overall business effectiveness dramatically.
Particularly regarding electronic messaging, the field has recognized some of the existing disadvantages and has been motivated to address them. For example, Miloslavsky, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,033, discloses a rule based electronic mail system for receiving messages, extracting information from the message, and then forwarding the extracted information to a particular recipient based on the content of a set of rules. However, the recipient of the information and the sender of the message do not have direct access to the rule set and the ability to redefine the sets parameters. Finney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,118, also disclose a rule based system for managing electronic messages. In the Finney system, a recipient can access the rule set and define in advance certain parameters controlling whether a message received by the system is forwarded to the recipient. However, the system of Finney does not provide for a sender of a message being able to define any parameters of the rules controlling the forwarding of its messages to a designated recipient or group of recipients.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an electronic message management system where each individual recipient could access a rule set and maintain the parameters of his/her own message profile, thus, enabling each recipient to designate specific or classes of messenger from whom they are willing to receive a message, and to specify how the information or messages are to be delivered. Additionally, it would be usefull for messengers to be able to submit not only message content, but also individual and group recipient profiles or identifications to the central message management system rule set, to enable message distribution and delivery to recipients according to individual recipient profiles. It would be further useful to have an electronic messaging system wherein individual recipients centrally can define a plurality of recipient profiles specifying how messages from messengers generally or from certain messengers specifically must be distributed to him/her.